38 Troubleshooting
3 Chromatographic Symptoms
FID Flame Goes Out During a Run and Attempts to Reignite
The following is an example chromatogram showing a flameout
from a large solvent peak.
After a flameout, the GC will try to ignite the flame three times.
If the FID flame goes out during a run, do the following:
• See if an aromatic peak or water extinguished the flame.
• Check for a plugged jet.
• Verify that the gas flow settings are correct. Verify that Lit
offset is set appropriately.
If the FID flame attempts to reignite but is already lit, do the
following:
• Verify that the FID Lit offset setting is appropriate for the run
(typically
< 2.0 pA).
• Check to see if an aromatic peak or water extinguished the
flame.
• Check for a partially plugged jet. Measure actual hydrogen,
air, and makeup flows at the detector. (See “To Measure a
Detector Flow” .)
• Check for leaks at the detector column fitting. (See “Checking
for Leaks” .)
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1
23
4
5min
pA